


Surprise

by queen_scribbles



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 08:49:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17804891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: Normally Emiri's not fond of surprises. This one's not so bad.





	Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> For fill 76: Reunite. Once I decided to bring back Kana, Emiri got a lot more insistent I use her. :P

Emiri didn’t like boats, and she had twenty years of reasons why. Usually when they were sailing, she liked to stay in her cabin--or track down Aloth to sit with him--and read, try to forget they were on the water. Some days, however, she made exceptions. Today was one of them.

She sat on the _Mercy_ ’s deck, wind ruffling her hair as Crookspur Isle grew smaller behind them, trying to remember the best--least painful--way to break the manacles around her newest crew member’s wrists.

“You couldn’t wait ten seconds to get the key before smashing the bastard’s head in, ‘Miri?” Edér asked, amusement in his tone. He took a lazy draw on his pipe and exhaled a cloud of smoke toward the clear blue sky.

“No, I couldn’t.” Emiri brandished the chisel at him reprovingly. “You know how I feel about blazing _slavers_. Now be a dear and stop distracting me so I don’t gouge open Eliam’s wrist instead of the metal.”

“Wouldn’t want that,” Edér winked. “I’ll be quiet.”

“Will wonders never cease,” Maia deadpanned from across the deck.

“I heard that,” Edér complained good-naturedly.

Emiri huffed a sigh out through her nose and pointed the chisel at each of them in turn. “This is hard enough to do on a moving ship, no matter how good the helmsman or calm the sea. If the chatter doesn’t stop, I’m going to banish everyone but Kuldrun below deck until I finish.”

“Sorry,” Edér and Maia said in unison before falling silent.

“Thank you,” Emiri said, turning back to Eliam. “You get used to this, I promise.”

He just nodded solemnly, expression obscured by the growths that covered his face.

Emiri bit her lip in concentration and devoted her focus entirely to breaking off the manacles without hurting him more than she had to. Eliam was very good at holding still, and it was only a handful of minutes before his chains clattered to the deck.

“Alright, you’re free to harangue or tease one another again,” she said with a laugh as she stood. She offered Eliam a hand up. “You can go talk to Beodul about fresh clothes and some food before we figure out your duties.”

Eliam stooped to gather the broken manacles before inclining his head respectfully to her. “As you say, Captain.” He threw the manacles overboard as he headed below deck in search of the boatswain.

Emiri was stretching and rubbing the crick out of her neck when she saw the ship on the horizon. It didn’t look threatening; just a typical merchant’s ship. But she was in no mood for surprises, especially not of the _Aha, it’s pirates!_ variety. She crossed to the rail and leaned out far as she dared, squinted for a better look.

“Miri? Whaddya see?” There was a quiet scrape as Edér pushed off the crate serving as his seat to join her.

“Just a ship,” Emiri said, feeling almost silly for what she was about to say. “But there’s something... I dunno, odd?” She gestured helplessly. “I don’t even know if it’s something _bad_ or not. Just... It’s making something deep down in my soul _squeeze_ , just a little.” The feeling was _almost_ familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it, which was just irritating.

“Well, shit, Mir, that’s the sort of thing we usually check out,” Edér said dryly. “Should we get closer?”

She hemmed and hawed for a minute, but finally listened to the pang in her chest. “Yes. Let’s see what’s making me feel weird. Kuldrun!”

“Aye?” the helmsman called back.

“Get us closer!” Emiri pointed to the ship. “I have a... feeling about that ship I want to investigate.”

There was only the barest hesitation before Kuldrun replied,” Aye, Captain!” and the _Mercy_ ’s course drifted closer to the mystery ship.

Emiri let out a sharp bark of laughter when she saw the ship’s name. The _Surprise_ didn’t appear to be a threat--though she had been ironically christened. As they drew closer still, Emiri could see the captain standing by the helmsman, his posture clearly tense as this unexpected encounter.

 _The_ Surprise _was surprised_ , Emiri giggled to herself as she took a deep breath to hail the man, hopefully assuage his fears.

Her words went flying out of her head, lost to the circling gulls, when she caught sight of a familiar figure, missed beyond words for five long years, leaning against the ship’s rail. “ _ **Kana?!**_ ” she blurted instead.

There was a jolting scrape and quiet but feeling oath behind her, followed by Maia all but crashing into the rail.

For his part, when they got close enough to see, Kana was grinning ear to ear as he waved to her. “Ah, Emiri! I knew those rumors couldn’t be true! I would take more than a statue to kill you, no matter how large it might be!”

Emiri laughed, hands clasped to her  chest. _Now I remember..._ She’d felt that tug in her chest before, as she approached the Engwithan digsite with Edér and Xoti in tow. It was the tug of her soul in close proximity of someone near and dear to her heart, only slightly less with Kana than it had been for Aloth. “What are you doing out here?” she called, grinning as she motioned for Kuldrun to move them yet closer.

“Exploring, of course!” Kana boomed, his grin stretching even wider when he saw Maia. “Ah, Sister! Good to see you looking well!” He doffed his cap and winked before turning back to Emiri. “Did you know, Emiri, that there are islands out her that have gone untouched by kith for decades, centuries even? Who knows what treasures of knowledge lie waiting to to be discovered?”

Maia chuckled. “You never change, do you?”

“Only for the better, I hope!” Kana replied, still grinning, then turned to confer with the captain. “We can drop anchor if you’ve the time to come aboard and have this conversation face to face, Emiri!” he called across once finished.

Emiri grinned, certain if she still had her halo it would be glowing fit to beat the sun. “For you? Always!” She scampered up to the poop deck and relayed the plan to Kuldrun(”I heard, Captain”). When she returned to the main deck, Edér was smirking at her, a knowing look in his eye. “What?”

“ _Always_ , ‘Miri?” He knocked his pipe out over the rail. “Do you still-”

“Hss!” Emiri shushed him, darting a quick glance at Maia.

Maia chuckled and held out her arm for Ishi as the hawk fluttered over. “Relax, Captain. You’re not nearly subtle enough for that to still be a secret. Don’t worry, I’m not plannin’ on saying anything.”

“Thank you.” Emiri picked nervously at one of her bracelets. “It’s not really worth mentioning, and honestly would be kind of unfair to drop on him now.”

“Right,” Maia and Edér drawled in unison, as the ship’s drew close enough to extend a gangplank between them.

“Either of you want to come?” Emiri asked, running her hands down her braids to check for frizzies and flyaways. She wished she was wearing something other than her battered leathers, but there wasn’t anything to be done about that. _It doesn’t matter, he won’t care._

“Sure, why not?” Maia shrugged. She held out her arm. “Ishi, you better stay here. You two aren’t on particularly good terms.” Ishi squawked and flapped over to the crate Edér had been sitting on.

“Would be nice to see Kana,” Edér said. He tucked his pipe in his belt. “After you, ‘Miri.”

Emiri grinned and mounted the gangplank. She crossed with only the fainest twinge of trepidation at the water below. When she reached the _Surprise_ , Kana helped her down and then greeted her with a bear hug so fierce he lifted her feet a couple inches off the deck.

“Oh, it’s good to see you, my friend!” he effused as he set her down, before greeting Edér and Maia with the same enthusiasm. 

Edér grunted as something popped in his spine and then grinned. “Hey, that’s been buggin’ me for days. Thanks!”

Kana chuckled(something in Emiri twisted at the sound; Usher’s scythe she’d missed his laugh). “Glad to be a help, my friend. So, tell me, what are _you_ doing here?”

“Most recently? Clearly out Crookspur,” Emiri said with grim satisfaction, even as one hand rubbed self-consciously at a blood stain on her armor. “Aside from that? Chasing a god.” She and Edér filled him in on what had happened-- the _real_ version, uninfluenced by rumor or hearsay.

“I see even if you survived the ordeal it did leave its mark,” he commented.

Emiri instinctively reached for where her halo had joined the base of her skull as she nodded. “It’s a small price to pay for surviving, but it does feel odd not having it anymore.”

“I imagine so,” Kana said sympathetically.

“Still, it would have been worse if not for Edér finding me when he did.” She bumped her shoulder against the farmer’s and smiled. “So I can live without it.”

“Always the optimist,” Kana smiled. He clapped Edér on the back. “It seems all of us who value the Watcher’s friendship owe you a great deal.”

“Eh,” Edér shrugged. “Just lucky I decided to visit _then_ , is all. The wakin’ up she did on her own.”

“Nice as it is to have some background about her that isn’t crew gossip.” Maia piped up. “Is exploring _all_ you’re doing out here, Kana?”

“All I’m doing, yes.” He shot her a knowing smile. “But there are others, from the lore college, aboard with other business.”

“Oh, so you probably need to keep moving, to stay on track with the itinerary?” Emiri tried not to sigh in disappointment and caught the knowing look in Edér eye.

Kana raised an eyebrow even as he smiled. “Actually, our next few stops are more diplomatic than exploratory in nature; the lore college trying to shore up existing relationships. They don’t need me. My plan was to simply wander, take in the local cultures, but if you have need of me, I’m certain they could spare me for a month or two. Indeed, they’d probably be grateful for one less mouth to feed.”

“Especially with the way you eat,” Maia muttered under her breath, the corners of her mouth twitching in a smile.

She didn’t technically _need_ him. Emiri knew that. Konstanten was a talented chanter, and Tekéhu knew some basics. From that standpoint, she was well covered. But _gods_ , did she _want_ him along, even if she didn’t need him, even if just for a little.

Edér caught her eye as she hemmed and hawed and winked, giving a minute nod. It was the most subtle she’d ever seen the man be, it would be a shame to let that go to waste.

“I’d love to have you join us,” she said, fingers picking at her bracelets again. “So long as you and Maia are alright traveling together?”

Maia sighed in mock dismay. “I suppose I can endure it for a couple months.”

Kana chuckled. “As can I, provided she keeps her bird away from me.” Emiri bit back a smile and he groaned dramatically. “Wael’s eyes, she _told_ you.”

“Yep.” Emiri nodded apologetically. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure Ishi stays away from your hats.”

“Then done,” Kana said with a toothy grin. “I’ll speak to Captain Anyani, learn when and where to meet for me to rejoin the _Surprise_ , and get my things.”

It didn’t take him long at all, making Emiri wonder just how enthusiastic he was about joining her(and why. But no, no, that was just her imagination). Barely half an hour after first sighting the _Surprise_ , Emiri was departing it back to her own ship, an extra friend in tow.

“They’ll be Port Maje in two and a half months’ time to resupply.” Kana informed her as they stepped down onto the _Mercy_. “Until then, I’m all yours.”

“Alright,” Emiri managed, trying and failing to ignore the way her heart squeezed at his word choice. “I’m sure we’ll find _something_ for you to do.”

“Well I know it,” he smiled. “Life never stays boring for long around you.”

“No matter how much I wish it would,” she wryly.

Edér and Maia drifted off to do various things, leaving Emiri with Kana to wave farewell to the _Surprise_. He turned to smile at her as they got underway, excitement at adventuring together again plain on his face, and her heart skipped a beat.

Maybe boats weren’t entirely awful, she conceded to herself. She still didn’t like them, but they weren’t so bad when they carried pleasant surprises like old friends.


End file.
